If Only
by these-dreams-go-on
Summary: Katherine and Elijah drabbles. Some are canon, some are not. Some have happy endings that the show never gave them, some do not.
1. The One with Ice-Cream

A/N- I own nothing associated with the Vampire Diaries or its characters.

* * *

Elijah tried not to let his nervousness show as he approached the school gate and leant against the street lamp, checking his watch and carefully not making eye contact with any of the other adults there.

The men complained to him about having to pick up their own kids and when the women found out that he wasn't a biological relative, they immediately started worrying that he was an axe-wielding kidnapper.

Fortunately, the prep classes are released first, so he doesn't have to wait long before he spots the familiar head of brunette hair,

"Nadia!" he calls, catching her attention and raises his hand as she heads over, eager to be freed from the tyrannical reign of school for another day.

"Hi Lijah," she looks around, "Where's mom?"

"She's at work," he explained, "I thought you and I could go for ice-cream."

Nadia beams at the idea and happily follows him to his car, climbing into the backseat and quietly submitting to his careful checks of the seat belt. He'd had his older brother Finn professionally check and clear the car for safety and security but he wasn't taking any risks with his girlfriend's daughter.

The ice-cream parlor is close to his hospital and, since dating Katherine, he's been there with Nadia enough times that the girl at the counter smiles in recognition.

He had been dating Katherine Pierce for the last year, after three months she'd introduced him to her daughter and a month after that, she'd let him babysit for her while she went to a movie with friends. Slowly and surely, he'd garnered enough trust that, when his schedule allowed it, he could pick Nadia up from school, allowing Katherine a spare half-hour in her day.

Which for her, meant the world.

Nadia likes to select a different flavor every time, so Elijah tosses his jacket into a booth and lets her impatiently lead him to the counter, where she leans in close to the display and peruses the ice-creams with an intensity he hasn't ever seen outside of an operating theatre.

"I want that one," she points to the violet one in the corner and looks up at the girl, "Please."

The poor girl smiles so sweetly at hearing the word that Elijah finds himself facing flashbacks to his own time in hospitality.

He still shudders when he remembers working the bar on game night.

When Nadia's ice-cream cone has been loaded with violently colored sprinkles and a gummy bear, he grabs a lemon sorbet and they settle into the booth.

He doesn't want to alert her to the fact that this isn't an ordinary day, so he asks the standard questions about her day, her friends, her activities and allows her time to get enough sugar into her system that she'd be feeling grateful towards him.

"So, Nadia," he clears his throat and leans forward before reminding himself that she's not a potential donor to the hospital and clasps his hands together to hide his nervousness,

"I was hoping to talk to you about something…"

Nadia's head shoots up and he sees panic in her eyes, "Is mom okay?"

Damn.

"Yes, she's fine sweetheart," he assures her, "Perfectly fine."

"Okay,"

She goes back to her ice-cream and he inhales through his nose to try again.

"So, your mother and I have been dating for a while now," he waits until she's looking at him, violet ice-cream- what flavor even is that? - around her mouth, "And I was thinking of asking her to marry me."

Nadia frowns in confusion, "Isn't mom married to dad?"

Shit.

He smacks his lips and glances up out of the corner of his eye, "No, sometimes mommies and daddies have babies without getting married…"

"Are you and mom having a baby?"

Fuck.

"No…" he answers a little quickly and amends that, "Not yet, maybe someday, but I thought it might be nice if your mom and I got married."

Nadia hums and licks absentmindedly at her cone, "Why?"

Um.

"Well…when two people love each other very much, sometimes they get married and live together and…"

"But…" Nadia interrupts, eyes wide with hurt, "Mommy lives with me!"

This was not going well.

"I know sweetheart," he assures her before she starts crying, "But if your mommy and I got married, you two could come to live with me, in my house, you remember my house? With the swimming pool?"

God bless his trust fund and pretentious mid-twenties.

Nadia did love his swimming pool, she ponders that thought for a moment before launching her next question, "Where would daddy live?

In Hell preferably.

Katherine had got pregnant in her freshman year of college with her longtime boyfriend Stefan Salvatore, he'd encouraged her to keep the baby and the two of them had figured out a plan that would see them raise the child while both achieving their career goals.

Except then Stefan had been accepted into pre-med and essentially bailed on her, forcing her to drop out of college and find work to make ends meet and it hadn't been any easier once their daughter had been born. After the first year, Stefan had stopped paying child support all together and Katherine had had to take on a second job as well, struggling to live always on the verge of destitution, going without the bare basics herself just to provide for her daughter.

Stefan currently lived in student dorms, under the guise of being close to the library but Elijah suspected the three bars nearby played a deciding factor as well.

"He would keep living where he lives now." He explains and Nadia purses her lips,

"I don't like where daddy lives," she says, "It's loud and smelly and he has even less food than mom and I."

Because he lived on a diet of take-out and beer, but Elijah hadn't brought her here to discuss her deadbeat father.

"So," he continued, "Do you think it might be nice if you and your mommy came to live with me?"

Nadia hummed and looked down at the last remains of her cone,

"I need to think," she decided and he wondered whether he could press the matter further before she looked over to the counter, "Ice-cream helps me think."

Okay. Blatant blackmail. This he could work with.

He stands up and heads towards the counter.

"Fudge please!" Nadia calls from the booth and the counter girl is already at work by the time he reaches her, scooping pink ice-cream that alarmingly isn't strawberry flavored into a glass dish and heaping on enough chocolate fudge that Elijah might have to swing past the hospital on the way hope and get Nadia's cavities seen to.

He notices the girl is adding more sprinkles and chocolate flakes and what appear to be cookie crumbs and he goes to stop her but she silences him with a look,

"Trust me," she says, handing him the dish, "You'll want as much as this dish can literally handle."

He hoped she was just being overcautious and not properly discerning his chances of attaining Nadia's blessing.

Nadia squeals with delight and digs her spoon into the dessert eagerly, and Elijah waits until she's taken a break to breathe before starting again,

"So…" he plays with the finger on his ring nervously, "Do I have your blessing?"

Nadia tilts her head, clearly thinking as she helps herself to another serve of ice-cream, meanwhile the girl comes over and starts clearing the booth next to them,

"Where will I sleep at your house?" she asks and he takes this as a positive sign,

"In your own room," he promises, "With a nice big bed and toys."

Nadia accepts this with a calculated nod, "Where will mom sleep?"

He decides not to answer that because he doesn't think explaining to his girlfriend's daughter about adults sharing beds will win him any favors.

But while he's floundering, the counter girl comes over, "Is your mommy getting married?" she asks brightly, "Lucky you, you'll get to be a flower girl and wear a pretty dress."

Nadia's head spins around so quickly that Elijah instinctively reaches out to adjust it into a safer position, thankfully stopping himself before it looks like he's strangling the poor child.

"Flower girl?" Nadia parrots, intrigued, "Dress?"

The counter girl winks at him and he grabs at this lifeline,

"Of course," he smiles, "If mommy and I get married, you'll be the flower girl with the prettiest dress and there'll be lots of cake and candy at the wedding."

She practically salivates at this, "Will it be ice-cream cake?"

"Sure." he lies smoothly, figuring that they can have multiple cakes at the wedding. He'll provide Nadia with her own personal ice-cream wedding cake if need be.

"Okay," she decides, going back to her ice-cream, "You and mommy can get married."

After she finishes the ice-cream and in the few seconds before the sugar renders her incapable of thought, he swears her to silence, picks her up to carry her to the car and leaves a one-hundred-dollar tip for the counter girl.

He takes Nadia home and keeps her amused until Katherine comes through the door, yawning and dragging her tired feet. She gives him a brief kiss and he can tell that she just wants to fall into bed so he leaves, grateful that she only has a half-day tomorrow.

So he's surprised when she rings him not even an hour later.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, immediately going into panic mode and he hears her snicker,

"Oh, everything's fine," she says, her voice thick with humor, "I just thought you'd like to know that Nadia's already practicing her flower girl duties."

"What?" he splutters, "She promised me she'd keep it a secret, I gave her ice-cream!"

"I gave her life," Katherine pointed out, "Which do you think matters more to her?"

"She's five," he counters, "Clearly I was betting on it being the ice-cream."

"Well, you were mistaken," she gloats, "And exactly how much ice-cream did you give her?"

He checks his watch, it's eight in the evening, Nadia should already be fast asleep, not still up and running around.

"So, about the thing I asked Nadia's blessing for?" he asks and she laughs,

"Well, I'd hate for all her practicing to go to waste."


	2. The One in New York

A/N- This chapter is from Caroline's POV and written more for the scene than for the Kalijah.

* * *

 _Snap_.

"Again, Barbie?! They're _clouds_!"

Caroline pointedly ignored Damon's snark and took another photo from the plane window, thrilling at the beauty of the scene before her.

Crystal blue sky sitting above blindingly white and fluffy clouds.

She wished she could fly, so she could climb through the clouds and emerge soaring towards the dazzling sun.

Besides, this was her first time ever on a plane.

Headed for _New York_ of all places.

Even if it was a rescue mission. 

Elijah, Klaus' older brother was being hunted by a coven of witches who had been crazy enough to let everyone know what they were doing.

Or at least everyone in Salem.

Abby Bennett had called Bonnie to warn her and, after running the matter past her friends, they'd made the decision to let Klaus know.

After all, Elijah was the one Original member any of them actually _liked_.

Caroline had barely finished telling Klaus before he'd got his phone out and started tracking down his brother, eventually getting word that he was 'somewhere in New York City'

The next morning, he'd sent the group a message, telling them to pack for a weekend and head to a private airport in Richmond where a plane was waiting to fly them to one of the most famous cities in the world.

Caroline had already begun mentally packing and planning before she'd even finished replying with the question, 'Why?'

As it turned out, Klaus wanted a witch he could trust to perform a location spell and at the moment, it was a list that began and ended with Bonnie and he'd already guessed that the rest of the group would protest his spiriting her away so he'd decided to save them all the trouble of arguments and threats and just take them all.

He stomps past her seat now and heads straight for Rebekah who has been pretending to read a magazine for the last hour, unable to hide her concern for her older brother,

"We need to locate Elijah and we need to do it fast." he announces, leaning over her seat and she looks up,

"I'm aware," she notes drolly, "That's why we brought the witch remember?"

He sighs and rubs a hand over his face, "I'm worried that Elijah might be in one of his hidden residences, he has dozens of them scattered across the world whenever he wants 'private time'"

Klaus sounds utterly disdainful of this but a term with Rebekah has taught Caroline that the Original siblings had no real understanding of respecting privacy.

Personally, she thought half their problems would be solved if they all just got separate houses, locked their phones and moved all their diaries and whatnot to password protected devices but hey, what did she know?

Apart from how to theoretically have a healthy relationship with a sibling.

Rebekah sits up with a small frown on her face, "What did you do, Nik?"

His shoulders drop, "I wouldn't have done it unless I was really worried about Elijah…"

"You didn't!" she hissed, "Are you out of your bastard mind?!"

The rest of them pick up on her fury and Klaus' apparent crime,

"Um," Stefan catches their attention, "Should we be worried?"

"No." Klaus answers at the same time as Rebekah snaps, "Yes."

She raises her voice so that they can all hear her clearly, "He called the Children!"

* * *

The Children, as Rebekah explained while Klaus went to go 'check with the pilot', were the first three vampires they had sired.

The first by sheer accident and the other two deliberately.

Elijah's first creation was Tristan de Martell, whom Rebekah described as a 'stuck up narcissist who makes Nik look humble' but he was the brother of Aurora whom would want to keep him and ergo Elijah alive.

When they land, there's a limo awaiting them and Klaus practically throws Damon in before offering a hand to Caroline who is lingering on the tarmac as she catches her first glimpse of the New York skyline.

They've arrived midmorning but it still takes them an hour to get from the private airport to their destination.

The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue.

Caroline spends the entire ride with her face turned to the window, which Klaus had graciously wound down for her, she's taking in every single sight she can, the people rushing to and fro, the taxis, the buildings.

She's near giddy with excitement as the limo pulls up before the famous hotel on the corner, a liveried man opening the door for her and matching her smile as she steps out practically onto the red carpet.

"I'll bring you back another time love." Klaus promises quietly as everyone is caught up in the commotion of gathering their things and she pretends not to have heard him but she's pretty sure that her blush and the way she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear gives her away.

"Come on," he orders to the rest of the group and leads them up the steps into the lobby, cutting a path straight past one of the greeters to the Champagne bar, stopping just long enough to glance around the room of elegantly dressed people looking somewhat horrified by their casual outfits, to spot three attractive people gathered at the bar.

A pretty red head beams as he approaches, "Nik!"

She hops off her seat and hurries up to him for a hug, looking less like a vampire and more like an elf, even with her couture clothes.

"And Nik's friends!" she holds out her hands, "Welcome to New York!"

The two men with her are less enthusiastic, although the dark haired one does embrace Klaus for a long time, the two of them smacking each other's backs and kissing each other's cheeks,

"I'm surprised you're here," Klaus grins at the man who only shrugs,

"Elijah's not my sire but I damn sure don't want to be in a world where you, Bekah and Kol are mourning him."

"Yes," the blonde man interrupts, "Do tell us why you're so concerned for his sake, Niklaus."

 _Wow_.

Rebekah was _right_.

Caroline had only known this man for a dozen words and already his snobbish tone and sniff of disdain made her dislike him.

Klaus cedes the floor to Bonnie who briefly explains the situation, glaring at the blonde man and daring him to belittle her the same way he had done the Original hybrid.

And, possibly because he's only a little bit younger than the Originals, he has the survival instinct not to.

"So," Rebekah concludes after Bonnie has finished speaking, "We need to find Elijah as soon as possible."

The three children share a glance and then all suddenly become fascinated by their shoes and Caroline sees the two men subtly use their hands holding their glasses to play a short game of odds and evens before Tristan loses and turns to the Originals with a sigh,

"We have information regarding Elijah's whereabouts," he admits reluctantly, "But I'm afraid you won't like it."

Klaus says nothing but raises an eyebrow and leans back slightly, with a look Caroline associated with his 'contemplating organ removal' frame of mind.

"It's the New York Literature Festival," Tristan explains, "And for the last twenty years, Elijah has spent at least a week here, reading his way through the books in the running for the prizes."

Caroline doesn't exactly see how that's scandalous news unless the fifty shades trilogy had somehow made that list but Tristan swallows nervously and continues,

"It has slowly become known that he doesn't spend this time alone, but rather with a…female companion."

Klaus' face goes stony and his eyes flash,

"I believe she now goes by the name Katherine Pierce." He finishes gamely and Rebekah clenches her hands into fists,

" _What_?!"

"Surely though, this is somewhat useful?" Lucien volunteers and Caroline finally realizes that he's not on his first drink but probably his eleventh,

"After all, say what you will about that _femme fatale_ , Elijah will at least have back up if he's attacked."

"I don't know," Aurora sang as she sipped her champagne and offered the glass to Caroline to taste,

"From what I heard, three days ago, Elijah was so distracted by the book he was reading he called Katherine, _Tatia_."

Tristan noticeably paled at that and Lucien laughed into his glass of bourbon,

"Have any resurrection spells handy?" he asked Bonnie.

"Where is my brother?" Klaus demands in clipped tones and Tristan sighs,

"Here," he admits, "In this hotel, he had the Royal Suite replicated for his personal use alone, the existence of which is known only to a select few."

Caroline could not wait until she could use compulsion to get herself the very best on holidays.

Tristan points over their shoulders, "The private elevator is hidden behind a wall panel in the Palm Court but there's only two people who have the key."

"And one of them is currently walking across the lobby," Damon interrupts, jerking his head and they turn to see Elena's doppelganger striding across the marble floor.

* * *

Katherine is wearing a Burberry trench coat over black suit pants, with round sunglasses hiding half her face and her telltale curls tamed into an elegant French knot. Her hands are laden with shopping bags and her Loubouton heels click loudly as she walks. Of course, she's attracting admiring glances but she's dressed so differently from all the outfits Caroline's seen her wear in Mystic Falls that she barely even recognizes her.

But _she_ wasn't in love with her for over one hundred years.

Klaus has a predatory gleam in his eye as he tracks her to the Palm Court, catching her as she subtly slips away to a shadowy corner and Caroline reaches them just as he has Katherine pressed against a wall, his hand having slipped into her jacket and punched through her stomach, reaching up towards her heart,

"Katerina," he hisses as she struggles to breathe, wide-eyed with fear,

"How lovely to see you again."

She chokes his name and her panicked eyes take in the group, who are blocking the view of any passersby and she swallows before turning back to her enemy.

She doesn't bother to ask what they're doing there because it's seriously obvious but jumps immediately to fighting to her life,

"You can't kill me," she argues, "Not with Elijah right upstairs, he's expecting me and will know the second you walk through the door and…" she gasps and chokes as he tightens his grip on her heart but she keeps talking, "You can't afford to anger him again," she finishes, "Not after the last time."

He growls but releases her to stagger and nearly slip to the floor,

"Very well," he clasps his hands behind his back, one dripping with blood, "Do lead the way."

She inhales sharply but pulls herself upright, tugging her coat to cover her torn top and reaches for a tiny lever on the marble column, pulling on it to reveal a small door hidden in the corner.

"Pull it closed when we're through," she orders, walking them down a long, narrow passageway with electric lights that flickeringly revealed their age. An elevator awaits them at the end and she observes the group with an annoyed sigh, "It'll be a tight fit unless someone wants to make the trip twice?"

They all crowd in an undignified manner into the elevator, Caroline finding herself pressed back against Klaus which she doubts is a coincidence as Katherine activates the machine with a strange golden key.

The ride is long and awkward and Katherine is quite obviously tense, judging by the way she all but flashes out of the elevator the second the doors open, into an entrance gallery that leaves Caroline breathless in its opulence. But while she's busy being fascinated with every small detail, Katherine is hurrying as quickly as her high heels will let her move through the suite with Klaus hot on her tail.

Caroline figures that she might as well follow, and Damon follows because he's a bigger drama queen than even she used to be.

The library is stunning, with sunshine pouring through a French window and the older Original brother sitting in an antique armchair, a book propped on his crossed knee.

He doesn't look up when they all enter and for a moment Caroline thinks that he's posing before she realizes that he _literally_ isn't aware that they are there.

Katherine sighs, "Hi honey," she trills, "I'm home."

She barely gets a hum in response and the only proof that he's still alive is his finger turning the page.

Klaus raises his eyebrows, "Hello big brother!" he greets pointedly.

He doesn't even warrant a hum of acknowledgement.

Klaus turns back to Katherine but before he can even ask she shakes her head,

"He's not spelled, he's just an ass during his reading time."

"And the greyish pallor of desiccation I can see on his skin?" he inquires and she looks only slightly frightened,

"Well, if I didn't keep him fed when he comes to New York he would starve but three days ago he called me Tatia so…I may have halved his rations."

"Sad thing is," she continues with a sigh, "He won't even notice unless it effects his ability to read."

"Well," Rebekah huffs, "As cute as this is, it doesn't change the fact that his life is in danger."

Katherine's head shoots up in surprise and she jerks her chin, "Let's discuss this in the kitchen, shall we?"

Everyone convenes in the kitchen but Caroline notices that Katherine's eyes barely flicker to the cabinet before she begins asking about the threat, apparently, they didn't warrant tea or coffee.

Klaus once again recaps and Katherine shrugs when he's done, "Very few people know where Elijah stays and this place is hidden from locator spells."

"Nevertheless," Klaus leans his hands on the marble counter top, "I'm not leaving my brother during his time in the city…"

"Well you sure as hell aren't staying here," she interrupts, before he's even finished speaking and his jaw snaps shut in surprise,

"I'll speak to the concierge about having you placed in whichever of the legacy suites are available."

Klaus looks like he's about to kick Katherine out of her own hotel suite but gets a wicked gleam in his eye which has Caroline concerned for the doppelgangers immediate safety before she realizes that he's not planning murder but seduction.

Fortunately, she, Bonnie and Elena get to share a room.

* * *

Three days later, Caroline is returning from a day of sight-seeing, her hands laden down with bags and she drops past Katherine and Elijah's suite where Stefan and Damon were meant to be on guard duty.

And when they're nowhere to be found she panics and heads for Elijah's library, breezing right in and skidding to a stop when she realizes what she's seeing.

At second glance it's not nearly as scandalous as she first thought.

Katherine is sitting in Elijah's lap, holding the book with her mouth close to his ear, whispering the words. She turns quickly when Caroline enters but otherwise doesn't move, annoyed at being disturbed but wearing a satisfied smirk,

"Hi Caroline," She drawls, "Have fun today?"

Only Katherine could make that innocent question sound like Caroline had spent the day at sex clubs.

"Caroline?" Elijah repeats her name and clearly has no idea who she is,

"Why is she here?"

Katherine rolls her eyes, "She's been here for _days_ now, 'Lijah, she arrived with your _siblings_ whom we had dinner with last _night_."

This is apparently news to the Original and Caroline wonders if maybe he's been smoking a lot of pot in between his books. He glances down and then sighs,

"I know I should ask but I'm afraid the answer will be rather time-consuming."

Katherine snorts and hops off his lap, "It's fine," she pats his shoulder, "We're handling it."

She strides from the room and Caroline follows her after an embarrassed 'Bye' to Elijah.

"Love you." His whisper follows them from the room. and Caroline can practically hear Katherine's smirk,

"Love you too." She replies.


	3. The One with the Afternoon Distraction

Hi Everybody!  
So someone was concerned last chapter that Elijah had been spelled. He's just the kind of guy who gets caught up when reading.  
This chapter is rated M and is AU/AH.

Also- I've been nominated for three categories in Klaroline Awards and I'd appreciate your votes.

* * *

Elijah sat at the desk in his home office and tried to concentrate.

The numbers on his screen blurred in his boredom and the words might as well have been in Aramaic for all that he could bother reading them.

He needed a break.

A distraction.

He leans back in the leather computer chair and glances out the window behind him.

Normally, it would afford him a stunning view of part of the French Quarter, but New Orleans was currently enjoying its second day of torrential downpour. Sheets of rain cascaded off his covered balcony and the sky was gun metal grey at three in the afternoon.

If he wanted to go out for a coffee, he'd probably have to swim for it.

He hears the click of heel on polished wooden floor board and smirks to himself.

Katherine was home.

" _Katerina_ ," he calls, "Come here."

He waits, anticipation making his blood race and his dick begin to harden.

Katherine hears her submissive name and there's the quick clatter as she hurries across the apartment.

Slowing down only as she opens the door to his office and slips inside, facing him with an expression of compliance on her gorgeous face that was just hiding the excitement in her eyes.

She was wearing a white silk sleeveless shirt with a few of the buttons undone to expose her long neck and the pink pearl necklace he'd given her. The blouse was tucked in to a black pencil skirt that stopped a respectable inch above her knees and black silk stockings covered her legs down to her stiletto clad feet. Her brunette curls danced freely across her shoulders and two golden bracelets slid up and down on her fragile wrists.

At first glance, she was the very image of innocence and respectability. It was only when one looked closer that they would see the hint of the strapless black lace bra visible through her shirt, the red sole of the shoes that flashed when she walked, the black line on her stockings that ran a straight path from her heels and disappeared into her skirt where the outline of a lace garter belt showed against the fabric.

And the two bracelets? They had tiny hooks on the side that would connect them together to make handcuffs.

He enjoyed her like that, looking like a well behaved girl on the outside but betraying a hint of the naughty slut she could be behind closed doors.

"Yes, Master?" she asks, her voice breathy with eagerness and he beckons her with his fingers,

"Take off your pretty shirt and come to me." He orders, shifting in his chair to watch as she slowly sashays forward, her eyes lowered as she undoes the buttons one by one, stopping halfway across the room to glance at him through her eyelashes and biting her lip before pushing on the button holding the fabric between her breasts.

He sees the sides of the black lace bra and his dick strains against the pants of his suit as she resumes her walk, stepping around his desk and stopping a foot away from his chair, she undoes the last button and slides the shirt off, exposing her toned stomach and large breasts.

Breasts that were made to be kissed and bitten, touched and teased.

"Lose the bra." He demands and she reaches behind her and snaps open the clasp, holding the cups to her skin with an almost virginal hesitance before letting it fall to the floor.

He inhales through his nose and admires the sight of her standing there unassumingly, the waist line of her pencil skirt signifying the line between her decadent top half and her innocuous bottom half.

He sits up and puts his hands on her hips, bringing her forward and step so he can lift up his head and press his lips to her right nipple, kissing it gently before opening his mouth wider to take in as much of her breast as possible. His tongue laves the skin and she whimpers with delight as his teeth scrape her flesh and tease her hardened nipple. She arches her back as he releases her right breast and turns his attention to her left one, his hands leaving her hips and roaming to her backside, his palms flat as he fondles her cheeks and then slides down the back of her thighs to the hem of her skirt which he slowly pushes up, higher and higher, past the garters and exposing the skin of her thighs. He pushes the skirt up until he feels her knickers, placed over her garter so they could be removed and the garter belt and stockings kept on, or she could keep the whole ensemble on, because the knickers came with a little opening positioned at her juncture so there was no barrier between him and what he desired. He hitches the skirt on her hips and takes his mouth away from her breasts. Her face is flushed and her eyes are bright with lust, her breasts are red and wet from his lips, tongue and teeth and she is so divine that he wants to get his camera and have her pose for him.

But that would mean delaying their pleasure and he doesn't want to do that.

So instead he puts one hand back on her bum, squeezing her right cheek and the other on her thigh, keeping his eyes locked on hers as his fingers trail north until they slip through the little hole and between the slick folds of her vagina.

"So wet, already," he murmurs, clicking his tongue in feigned disapproval as he inserts two fingers into her soaked vagina and presses his thumb through the lace onto her clit, making her moan and rolls her hips wantonly.

"It's the middle of the afternoon and here you are, in my office, disrobed, disheveled and practically begging for me to despoil you."

He curls his fingers and she whimpers, biting her lip to try and smother her lascivious smile, she revelled in her submissiveness, playing the role and controlling the situation with expertise.

"I'm sorry, master," she pouts, as his fingers continue their ministrations,

"I just can't resist you when you call."

She glances down at his penis straining against his pants, "Would you like me to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness?"

He gently removes his fingers from her slick heat and she gives a soft protest, but he brings them to his mouth and sucks on them, one at a time, tasting her and her tongue darts out and licks her lips,

"What I want," he decided, "Is for you to take off your skirt and knickers, sit on my desk, spread your legs nice and wide and lift them up high as you can."

He pushes back the chair and stands, undoing his belt and unzipping his pants with a hiss of relief as Katherine complies with his wishes, slipping off her skirt and bending to remove her knickers and carefully moving his laptop to the side to clear a space for herself before sitting her bare bum on the wood and stretching her legs up. He toes off his shoes and removes his pants and boxers, walking back towards her and putting his hands on her smooth legs, wrapping them around his lower back and pulling her closer to him until the tip of his penis is brushing against her vagina. He grips the side of the desk with one hand and takes his penis into the other to guide himself to her entrance, he pauses and looks into her eyes, seeing the lust and eagerness that mirrored his own. Her black garter belt at her waistline a stark contrast to her olive skin.

"Think gentle thoughts, my Katerina," he whispers, before slamming into her, pushing himself in to the hilt. Katherine's head falls back as she shouts and the heels of her shoes scrape his back as he sets a hard, demanding pace. She is hot, wet and tight enough to feel glorious but without fear that he's hurting her. He reaches up and runs his hand through her curls, wrapping them into a fist and pulling on them, making her sob at the sensation and she scrambles to grab a hold of his tie to keep herself centered.

"You enjoy this don't you, my slave?" Elijah teases as he thrusts inside her and she arches her hips to meet him,

"Giving yourself to me in the middle of the afternoon, in my office, letting me do with you what I please?"

"Ye…s"

The word catches in Katherine's throat and she gasps, her movements becoming shaky as she nears her orgasm. Elijah quickens his movements and drives into her harder, chasing his own release as her walls clamp down and she quivers, crying out as she comes to pieces beneath him.

He closes his eyes and exhales as he comes inside her, groaning with the physical sensation and the satisfaction that he has made her his own. He opens his eyes and sees her lying there on his desk, decadently despoiled and he brushes a stray curl to the side, smiling as he leans down and nips at her neck, pushing the pearls to the side as he sucks and laves the skin with his tongue until a little bruise is formed.

She is panting underneath him, her body flushed and glistening with sweat and he pinches her left nipple as he stands and steps back to admire the image before him.

She was so beautiful.

He grabs her knees, tugging her forward and setting her on her feet, making sure she was steady before cupping her face,

"Now," he began and waited until her glazed eyes met his,

"Lick me clean."

She smirks with satisfaction and puts her hands on his hips, sinking carefully to the floor and making sure he was watching her before she lifted her head up and closed her lips around the tip of his penis.

He was flaccid when she began but he quickly grew hard again as she licked and sucked her juices of his penis, her eyes flickering up to watch his reactions as her hands fondled his balls, and he cups the back of her head, thrusting when he gets close and holding her in place as he explodes, shooting onto her tongue just as his cum began slipping down her thighs.

"Swallow," he orders, "Every last drop."

She hums in the back of her throat and complies, releasing him with a final lick of his tip, and a finger daintily wiping the corner of her mouth.

Elijah picks up his pants and puts them back on, "No," he tells her when she reaches for her skirt.

"I don't want you dressed."

Katherine smiles flirtatiously and stands before him, in only her garter belt, stocking and heels, with his cum drying on her thighs,

"I want you to spend the rest of the day just like that." he orders.

"Yes, master," she whispers, trying to hide the pride in her eyes and he glances down at her breasts.

He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her to her bed, to spend the rest of the afternoon playing with her.

But these reports needed finishing.

"Dinner will be at seven," he tells her, sitting back down in his chair and reaching for his laptop,

"I'm making coq au vin," he gives her a quick pat on her backside, "Run along."

Watching Katherine Pierce walk out of his office was an exquisite torture.

* * *

A/N- There we go.


	4. The One that happens after Midnight

A/N- So I kicked this around in my head for a while, did a ridiculous amount of procrasti-research and wrote it.

* * *

12:03 am Damon- _'Come back and we can talk'_

12:05am Damon- _'You're being childish'_

12:15am Damon- _'He doesn't love you like I do'_

12:30am Damon- _'You're a bitch'_

Katherine can't even remember the last time she'd switched her phone off, but she does now, throwing it back in her handbag with a frustrated huff. The elevator comes to a stop and she yanks the art deco door open with more force than strictly necessary and stomps across the tiled hallway floor.

She knows that the old bitch in apartment sixty-eight will somehow hear and write a letter of complaint on paper worth more than her shoes and with a fountain pen that a hipster would give his beard to own but she doesn't care.

She grabs her key out of her handbag and nearly jams it into the door before taking a breath and pausing.

When she trusts herself to move again, she slides the key into the lock as silently as possible only to find the door sliding back against her pressure.

It had been left open.

She rolls her eyes and slips inside, easing herself out of her black heels and leaving them on the rubber mat beside the table stand, she tiptoes through the entryway, intent on heading straight to the bedroom when a light in the living room catches her eye.

She thinks a table lamp had been left on accidentally but when she steps into the room, she sees him there, sprawled across the couch, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, deep asleep.

Elijah Mikaelson.

The love of her life.

With an affectionate smile, she sits down beside his legs and reaches up to run her fingers through his hair, slowly drawing him from his slumber until he opens two bleary brown eyes and regards her with contented, adoring gaze,

"You didn't have to wait up for me." she chides, taking his hand and pressing it to her lips.

He grunts and sniffs, sitting up slowly, "I wanted to," he yawns, pinching the bridge of his nose and Katherine is about to respond when something falls to the wooden floor with a thud.

She reaches down and picks up the paperback, "And what's this?" she teases, realizing that rather than waiting up for her, Elijah had simply once again fallen asleep while reading on the couch.

He grimaces at being caught out, "Evidence to be used against me in a court of law?"

She frowns at the back cover, finding it vaguely familiar and she turns it over, looking at the front page and resisting the urge to toss it out the window,

"Fifty shades of…what the hell?"

He sighs, standing up to stretch, "My first year female students spent half an hour discussing it today, I was curious and now regret all my life choices that have led up to me purchasing and perusing that piece of work."

Elijah was a college professor of literature and universally adored by his students for providing interesting courses and structuring his lectures in such a way that he'd often have students from other disciplines sneaking in to listen to him speak.

Katherine tosses the book on the couch with a smirk,

" _All_ your life choices?" she demands but he doesn't apologize, instead rolling his shoulders before holding out his hand,

"I don't recall ever having a choice about us."

She considers this and shrugs, "Touché."

She takes his hand but notes the slight twitch and wrinkle of his nose and remembers that she stormed out of Damon's apartment without showering,

"Go to bed," she murmurs,

"I'll be there in a minute."

There's a flash of something close to guilt in his eyes and Katherine feels a little guilty herself as she goes into their main bathroom and slips off her jacket and unzips her little black dress, letting it pool to the floor as she turns the two handles for the shower, waiting for the water to heat up.

One thing she would miss about Damon Salvatore was his stupidly expensive bathroom, with the free standing shower and temperature setting, the heated floor and the bathtub which was way too comfortable for porcelain and with jets that had her halfway to climax before he even touched her.

And he had been rather _good_ at touching her.

She should have seen the warning signs, she scolds herself as she steps into the shower-bath combination, making sure her footing is steady before moving beneath the shower head, letting the water pound down over her hair and shoulders, down her thighs where sticky evidence had come home with her and over her breasts where Damon had left a love-bite.

She'd pushed him away when she'd figured out what he was doing but the damage had been done.

"What?" he'd smirked knowingly, as she examined the purple bruise in his mirror,

"It's not like he'll see it."

Except that Elijah _would_ see it, because it was high enough up her right breast that her nighties and bras wouldn't cover it.

He'd done that deliberately, hoping to back her into a corner and push her into a confrontation with Elijah, hoping that he would break up with her and leave her with no choice but to turn to him.

Except that the only way his plan could have worked was if Elijah hadn't known about Damon and if Katherine had cared about Damon beyond his bathroom and his body.

He did and she didn't.

She cleans herself up quickly and is towel drying her hair when there's a gentle knock on the door and Elijah opens it carefully, leaning against the doorjamb and playing with the skin of his thumbnail.

"I received a text," he begins cautiously, "I'm not sure how he got my number, but I gather that you broke up with him tonight?"

Katherine freezes in surprise, looking at him through the reflected surface of the mirror,

"I told him never to try to contact you," she swears, "God, he is such an _ass_!"

Elijah eases into the room and takes a towel from the rail, opening it with the flourish that she adored and helping her dry her dripping strands,

"Does he make you happy?" he asks quietly and she can already guess where this conversation is headed.

She turns to face him, her wet hair swinging around her shoulders and slapping her bare arms,

"You make me happy!" she tells him, cupping his cheek with her hand, "I love you. I chose you, meeting adjourned, thanks for attending."

For a second, he looks like he's going to argue with her but his shoulders drop in surrender and she turns on her heel, facing the mirror again and trying not to smile in her relief.

It was way too late in the night slash early in the morning for Elijah to try and 'do the right thing' by breaking up with her so she could find a 'normal' man to love, marry, have two-point-five kids, grow old, die and be happy with.

And at the moment she was way too tightly wound to end up in a philosophical argument about how hetero-normative standards for males in American society were damaging and outdated and how he wasn't abnormal or wrong for not adhering to them.

Just thinking about it was giving her a tension headache.

She closes her eyes, leaning back against his chest and he wraps his arms around her, kissing her shoulder tenderly,

"Come." He whispers, taking her hand and leading her naked, with her eyes barely open, into the hall to their bedroom. He doesn't turn on the light and she's grateful, letting him sit her on the bed as he goes to their chest of drawers and, instead of grabbing one of the many, many silk or satin nighties she owns, goes for one of the t-shirts he gets given every semester by the university, or as gifts from his students or from one of the charities he supports. He kept them purely because she sometimes slept in them, or used them to work-out on the days where she wasn't feeling the sports bra and bare stomach look.

He holds out the shirt, makes a face and folds it up again, and she sees the flash of the symbol before it's put back into the drawer.

A purple cake dotted with black, white and grey ace of spades.

She called it his horror movie slut t-shirt because wearing it would give him no chance or opportunity of staying hidden.

Especially because it had the word asexual taking up most of the back and a list of networks for those looking to give or receive support.

As far as Katherine was aware it was the last time Elijah had written a cheque for any non-profit organization dealing with his sexuality.

The next t-shirt is one that has the first chapter of Dorian Grey written across it and he hands it to her before getting ready for bed himself, disappearing into the tiny ensuite bathroom to brush his teeth while she pulls back the duvet and settles down on her side of the bed.

It had originally been Elijah's side of the bed but on the night before they'd got back together, Katherine- who had diligently tried to argue that she wasn't completely drunk- had stumbled onto the bed, announced that she was never leaving and passed out.

The next morning, Elijah had kindly made her breakfast and allowed her two hours to lie on the couch and recover before trying to restate the reasons he'd broken up with her in the first place.

Reason number one through three being the fact that he was asexual.

They'd met one rain-soaked afternoon in a bookstore that Katherine had run into to avoid an awkward ex and where Elijah was giving a lecture on the progression of British societal views of Jewish peoples as evidenced in popular literature from Shakespeare to the twenty-first century. Katherine had been fascinated with the presentation and afterwards, with Elijah, his clear intelligence and passion for the topic.

She couldn't help but go up to him to make conversation and for one of the few times in her life, she'd been glad that her grandfather had been a Bulgarian academic forced into exile who had refused to ever give her anything but Central and Eastern European literature for birthdays and Christmases.

She'd name-dropped Kundera, Kafka, Esterhazy, Konwicki and every other hopeful female in there had kissed their chances goodbye as she and Elijah had talked until the bookstore had closed around them and she'd suggested the café up the road. After that had closed and they'd ended up in a restaurant for dinner and an ice-creamery for dessert, and she'd ducked into a bathroom to google him and found out that he wasn't married, she'd asked for his number.

For a month she hadn't put two and two together, she had been too distracted by how _amazing_ her new boyfriend was.

Elijah had taken her on hot-air balloons, to galleries, picnics, long walks through open air markets and in between dates had sent her flowers, responded to her messages on time and generally given her bragging rights to all her friends.

It was the dream of every woman attracted to a man to find one who did the romantic things mentioned in books, and who didn't take sex on the first or third date as his God-given right.

When he'd subscribed to her beauty vlogging channel and rented a car so they could drive to New York to see an exhibition on the history of make-up, Katherine had begun wondering whether she was an autumn or spring kind of bride.

Except that as they'd driven back that night, instead of getting a motel room as she'd seductively suggested, she had begun to wonder why Elijah was willing to make-out with her, but not go to bed with her and after some gentle probing, he'd explained that he was asexual.

She barely understood the term so he'd quickly given her an overview of romantic vs sexual attraction while she had googled it on her phone. He'd confessed that he'd known that there probably wasn't a future between them but had really, _really_ been unable to resist her.

He'd broken up with her, saying that he wished things could have been different and she'd tried to forget him in a string of boys and men.

Each of whom had taken her to dinner, drinks or a movie and at the end of the first or second date expected to get inside her apartment and within five minutes of kissing, expected to get inside her panties.

To make matters worse, a few weeks later, one of her frenemies found out about the break-up and sent her a picture of Elijah hugging another woman.

And, admittedly, she hadn't handled that well, figuring that in the asexual world, hugging must mean something serious- a theory that she'd shared repeatedly with the bartender in two languages shortly before he'd cut her off and she'd drunkenly made her way to Elijah's to confront him.

She'd make the sixteen block trek in high heels with a bottle of stolen vodka, and thankfully, he'd answered the door and not kicked her out or called the police. It turned out that he'd missed her as much as she'd missed him, the woman had been a platonic friend who herself was an asexual in a relationship with a non-asexual person and he'd been meeting with her for tips on how to make it work.

So-once enough of the alcohol was out of Katherine's system that she was of sound body and mind and legally able to consent to anything beyond hand-holding, they'd resumed dating.

When it came to the physical aspects, Elijah enjoyed making out with Katherine, and he liked playing with her breasts, and when she'd been moving in and he'd uncovered her wand, he'd lain her on the bed and held it against her clit, watching as she came apart, he would gladly slide a dildo deep inside her and make her beg for her release but in no way wanted any reciprocation past first base, though he could and did occasionally masturbate for the sensation.

When they'd been living together for a little while, he'd offered to get a Viagra prescription so he could sexually perform on command but to Katherine, the idea of giving someone a drug so that their body could be used for someone else's sexual gratification just seemed like rape, no matter how he'd put it.

He'd been the one to suggest she find other men to have full sex with occasionally, when she really felt the desire and they'd figured out the situation together, settling on her finding a man who she knew was STI-free and she could have no-strings attached sex with for as long as she wanted, provided she always told Elijah when she was going to meet him so they were open with each other and he wouldn't worry.

Katherine had thought Damon was perfect for the role, a minor acquaintance who didn't know any of her friends, who was proud of his player status but petrified of knocking a woman up or getting an infection so he had a rotation of women who were on the Pill and he always wore condoms.

Except that he'd apparently decided that he wanted to be exclusive with her without bothering to inform her, he'd simple increased the number of times they had sex a month and then tonight, after they'd finished fucking, told her he'd ditched his other girlfriends and that she had to leave her boyfriend.

The downside to having a man who truly saw her as his equal, who respected her and worked so hard on the social, intellectual and romantic aspects of their relationship was that so many other men seemed like fuckboys in comparison.

The pillows are ridiculously soft as always and she's struggling to stay awake when he finally climbs into bed beside her, lying down and shifting over so he can slip an arm over her stomach and she tilts her face up so he can kiss her,

"I love you," he murmurs, closing her eyes and she repeats the sentiment just as she falls to sleep.

* * *

A/N- Let me know what you think.


	5. The One with Christmas

A/N- One of my tumblr drabbles.

* * *

Elijah couldn't be entirely sure whether he adored the Christmas holidays or hated them with a passion.

On the one hand, it was a time for family, love, merrily crackling fires and long evenings indoors with his darling wife.

On the other, it was a time of complete and utter chaos.

Case in point- his family.

It was barely seven in the morning and he was under the silk blankets, between Katerina's naked thighs as he ran his tongue over her clit and proceeded to slowly and luxuriously eat her out, taking his time as she murmured his name and stroked his hair and he was contemplating a lazy morning in bed when she suddenly curses and sits up.

Concerned that he'd somehow hurt her, he emerges from the blankets just in time to hear their front door being opened and the hounds of hell storming in.

Or to be more precise. His twin niece and nephew.

Thankfully, years of babysitting the sweet, darling little terrors meant that there was a deadbolt on the bedroom door, which by now was purely habitual for him to use every night.

So as Charlie and Billy collide with the wood- and probably damage the hinges- Elijah is hurriedly putting on his pyjama pants and cursing his sister-in-law to hell while searching about for the leftover glass of bourbon to rinse his mouth with quickly.

Meanwhile, his darling wife- whom he loves very dearly- is still gloriously exposing her naked body, not the least concerned until he tosses her a dressing gown,

"Please, my endless love." He entreats as she yawns,

"Da." She relents, covering herself up.

As a rule, Katerina refused to speak English before nine am, calling it barbaric, which if nothing else, meant that Elijah had a nice steep learning curve for Bulgarian.

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself physically as only someone extensively trained as an orthopedic surgeon can, Elijah opened the door and was immediately tackled by the demonically possessed four year old children,

"Uncle, uncle 'Lijah," they shrieked in his ear with a pitch that was probably terrifying all the dogs within a mile radius,

"We're here!"

Grinning, Elijah gathered them in his arms and kissed them both, "Charlotte, William, how are my two favourite children in the whole wide world?"

As far as he knew, he was the only one who ever called them by their names and they giggled at the novelty, squealing with delight as he carried them downstairs to where their father was staggering in the door, all of Elijah's medical knowledge assuring him that the man was definitely dying.

"Sorry big brother," Niklaus yawns as he leans heavily against the wall, "Caroline wanted an early start."

Considering how many states away the family had been just yesterday, the 'early start' would have had to have taken place somewhere around midnight.

Caroline bursts in the door with more energy and enthusiasm than should be possible without the aid of illicit drugs, all smiles as she holds her contribution to the obscene family feasting that will be taking place that day,

"Morning!" she chirps, her eyes landing affectionately on her children,

"Charlie, Billy, why don't you two go play Monopoly in the living room?"

His niece and nephew lunge from Elijah's arms with absolutely no concern for the laws of gravity but fortunately meet the hardwood floor with their feet instead of their skulls, allowing them to race towards the living room with all the grace of speeding elephants.

Taking a breath, Elijah herds his brother and sister-in-law to the kitchen, where the true love of his life, an obscenely expensive coffee maker, is ready and awaiting commands. Three cappuccinos and an espresso are ordered and the cups stand ready and waiting as Caroline prowls around eagerly for missions to accomplish,

"Has Katerina started on the apple pie yet?" she demands,

"What about the fruit cake? Should we also make a cherry pie as well? Kol is bringing his girlfriend and I want the family to make a good impression…"

"Then perhaps you should pick another family to host the dinner?" Elijah remarks blandly as he sips his coffee and begs for it to wake him up.

Niklaus snickers until Caroline shoots him a pointed glare, reminding him whom it was that was currently in possession of his balls.

She goes to open her mouth again when the noise from the other room cuts off.

Dead silence.

Ah, the stand-off between his wife and his brother's off-spring.

Charlotte and William didn't know what to make of Katerina and she didn't quite know what to make of them, two all-powerful units in confrontation with one another, sizing each other up, trying to determine whether they were allies or deadly enemies.

"Zdraveĭ" Katerina finally grumbles, before padding away with the stealth of a cat hunting its prey,

"Zdraveĭ"" the two partially indoctrinated children parrot dutifully.

Katerina was a model in Bulgaria before Elijah met, bed and wed her- all within the space of a week- and she still moves like one, capturing everyone's attention when she sashays into the kitchen and accepts her espresso wordlessly.

"Katerina," Caroline begins cheerfully,

"I know dinner is a fair way off but I wanted to make sure you knew that a Christmas turkey is totally different than cooking a Thanksgiving turkey."

"Da." Katerina doesn't look up from the counter where she's perusing the news on Elijah's iPad, and he watches as Caroline's expression ranges from comical politeness to comical frustration.

Poor woman could not handle his wife. Katerina knew that her Eastern European stoic nature confused the hell out of Caroline and hammed it up every time she was in contact with the woman before eleven am.

Meanwhile, Caroline overplayed her friendliness, hoping to break the façade and- if she couldn't get a response in English- at least get a positive response.

"So I know the recipe calls for fresh sage and…Katerina…"

Elijah smirked as Katerina slowly turned and made her way out of the kitchen to the back stairs, Caroline following her in confusion until she shrieks and barrels back in with her eyes squeezed shut and Katerina's caramel coloured dressing gown in her hand.

"She's naked!" she gasps, "Completely naked!"

Elijah leaves his coffee on the counter, hot on his wife's heels,

"We'll be down in half an hour," he promises, "Caroline don't touch anything!"

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading!


	6. The One with Werewolves

Kalijah werewolf AU

* * *

Werewolf hunters.

There were hunters out there specifically trained for werewolves.

He hadn't even known that was a calling.

One of these days, he'd have to take his brother- the Original hybrid- by the throat and shake him down in front of an audience until he damn well explained everything to do with werewolves and the pack of which he was now Alpha.

Of course, to do so, he'd have to pull him off Caroline Forbes for long enough to get him focused on something other than his mate, but considering that Niklaus' sex-addled brain was the reason Elijah now had a wounded werewolf in the back of his car, he wouldn't feel the least bit of guilt about this action whatsoever.

A whine from the backseat, followed by a sharp bark and he turned to look over his shoulder,

"It's alright," he says in a soothing tone, "We'll be there soon."

She tilts her head and he wonders just how much she understood, but she lies back down with her head on her paws and seems to relax.

Of course, this could stem less from her trust of him and more from the fact that she was mated to him.

A fact which he wished he'd known earlier.

Three months ago, Niklaus had conquered the North East Atlantic Pack, the ancient werewolf pack that had been led by his father and, in the more modern day, had been controlled by a dictatorial dick known as Richard Lockwood.

The man had had an unfortunate tendency to demand complete access to the females of the pack, which hadn't made the men very happy and when his eyes had turned to the barely legal next generation, Niklaus had been sought out by the parents and asked to reclaim the pack as it's legitimate heir.

Elijah and Rebekah had followed him because the pack was based in Mystic Falls and they'd been eager to see their home all those centuries later.

The conquering of the pack hadn't even taken an afternoon and that night, the first of the Full Moon, the wolves had gathered around a large bonfire in the forest.

That was where Elijah had first met Katherine Pierce.

She'd never encountered a vampire before and been fascinated by him- and, as she was a rather beautiful and vivacious twenty-two-year-old- he'd been quite willing to answer her questions.

When it had come time for the wolves to change, out of interest for his health, he'd retired to a nearby cabin where he'd planned to spend the night with a book and a bourbon.

Around midnight, he'd been drawn to the window to see a brown wolf sitting there in the moonlight, when it had seen him, it had nodded to itself and wandered off.

The next two nights of the full moon had seen the same action repeated and the evenings leading up to the changing had seen Katherine consistently seeking him out and their interactions had grown more flirtatious.

He'd wondered if she wouldn't face some censure for romancing a vampire, but when he'd seen that Rebekah couldn't take a step without being followed by three male werewolves, all quite obviously smitten with her, he'd had to assume that the lack of vampires having visited Mystic Falls had meant there was less tensions between the two species.

The second full moon, he'd once again joined his brother's pack and retired to the cabin when they'd changed, but this time, there had been a scratching on the door, followed by a whine.

He'd opened the door to find the brown wolf, obviously wanting to be let in.

"Go on," he told it, "Shoo."

It tilted its head and lifted up a paw, before setting it down again and moving forward, towards the door and he'd closed it, stepping outside, "Go run with your pack," he'd ordered, not wanting to spend the night with a wolf shedding fur all over the cabin.

"Go."

He'd pointed towards the forest and it had left, but not before whining again and showing clear reluctance.

The next night, Katherine had seemed a little confused when they'd been conversing and later, the wolf had returned to his doorstep, this time with a dead rabbit which it had dropped at his feet and which, before it even had a chance to hit the ground, he'd kicked so hard it hit a nearby tree and exploded on impact.

And he'd ended up with blood on his shoe and a few choice words for the wolf, slamming the door in its face.

The last night, Katherine had refused to come near him, and the wolf hadn't bothered him, something he'd been relieved about until the morning after when he'd overheard people talking about him not aware he could hear them until he'd gathered enough information to understand what had happened.

Apparently, Katherine's wolf had chosen him as a mate- which was a strange enough occurrence on its own- wolves rarely chose mates outside the species, but worse, she'd chosen someone who'd denied her his company, his home and rejected her food.

She was humiliated in the eyes of the pack.

He'd promised himself that he would make it up to her the next full moon, except that he'd found out the day before that because Katherine's choice of mate had rejected her, the males of the pack would be able to claim her.

Provided they could catch and subdue her wolf.

She would have no choice in the matter and afterwards, would belong to one of them.

Wolf and woman.

Something Elijah had no intention of letting happen.

This was why he'd spent the day of the full moon hiking through the forest with a bucket of pig's blood, splattering a trail which would distract the wolves and hopefully give Katherine's wolf a chance to escape.

And it had worked.

The male wolves had been distracted and Elijah had kept up easily with Katherine's wolf as she'd moved quickly through the woods, which was why he'd been on hand when she'd fallen into the werewolf hunters snare.

At least- he had to assume they were werewolf hunters.

He'd ripped out their hearts before he'd had the chance to discern their exact professions.

Katherine's hind leg had been injured and she'd yelped when he picked her up in his arms and carried her to his car.

He'd settled her onto the blanket and driven into the night.

He didn't stop until he reached his pre-planned destination.

A bed and breakfast off the highway, about an hour outside of Mystic Falls.

He'd rented the room for a week and compelled the owners not to notice anything strange.

Like the sight of him carrying a large wolf into his room.

Katherine's wolf- it was strange to think of the wolf as Katherine- looked around in confusion as he placed her on one of the queen beds, "There," he murmured, stroking the fur on her head,

"You're safe now."

The wolf licked her wounded leg and he disappeared into the bathroom to run a towel under warm water, which he used to clean the wound and examine to the best of his knowledge.

Nothing vitally important seemed damaged and she would be human again in a few hours, at which point he could feed her his blood to heal.

The wolf watched him as he went to the kitchenette and pulled a plate of raw steak from the fridge, she practically salivated as he placed it on the bed, "Eat," he prompted.

She whined and nosed the plate towards him and, because he's suspected this might happen, he tore off a piece of the meat and swallowed it quickly- having eaten worse things in his human days- and once he'd done so, she almost consumed the steak whole, licking the plate clean and falling onto her side with a contented sigh.

He waits until she has fallen asleep and steps out of the room to reach into his jacket pocket for his cell-phone.

He texts his brother letting him know that Katherine was alright, that she was with him and asking him to call him. He then forwarded the message to Caroline Forbes because for the last three months, the only way to catch his brother's attention was via the sweet blonde.

Hearing the cracking of bones, he lingers outside the room, in the night air for a little while longer, counting the stars in the sky until he judges it safe to re-enter.

Katherine is now in human form and completely naked on the bed.

Elijah pauses for a moment to drink in the sight of her, her long legs, the curve of her round buttocks, the hint of curls between her thighs and her smooth stomach leading up to her full breasts.

He clears his throat, reminds himself sternly that he isn't a pervert and chides himself for not having thought to bring her a change of clothes. He removes his jacket and drapes it over her before taking the blanket from his bed and covering her body.

* * *

His brother rings him shortly after eight am and he takes the call outside, by his car, having just ordered the cook to have a large serving of pancakes ready.

"Why are there dead bodies on my land?" Niklaus demands by way of greeting and Elijah rolls his eyes, "If you had bothered to check my message you would know that I caught them trying to hunt Katherine last night and I rather acted on instinct."

"Where is Katherine, now?"

"She's fine," he assures her alpha, "I've got her safe."

He can almost see his little brother's brow furrowing on the other end of the line,

"What are you up to, big brother?"

Elijah smirks and leans against his car,

"I've taken one of your wolves' hostage," he explains, "And I shan't release her until you meet my demands."

"Ah," Niklaus yawns, clearly not the least bit concerned about the kidnapping of a young, fertile, female werewolf, "I'm guessing this includes money, position and the like?"

Truthfully, Elijah had no idea what his demands would entail because he had no intention of releasing Katherine.

"Whatever you can imagine," he says vaguely, "Call me when you're ready to comply."

He slips back into the bedroom just as Katherine begins to rouse, stretching her body as she mewls before opening her eyes. He's partially hidden around the corner so he's able to watch her as she pushes herself up onto her elbows, looks about slightly confused and then reaches down for the jacket that had fallen to her collarbone, she pulled it up to her nose and sniffed deeply, visibly relaxing as she recognized his scent.

"Elijah?"

Her voice is still husky with sleep and that sends little jolts down to his lower regions. He clears his throat and steps into view, walking over to the bed and sitting by her legs, he takes a corner of the blanket and folds it back to reveal what is now her wounded ankle, he cups it in his hands and she trembles slightly at his touch.

"How are you feeling?" he asks gently, and her eyes dart around the room again.

"Sore," she admits, "Where am I?"

It was strange how little the wolf and the human recalled each other's memories.

"In a motel, off the highway," he prompts gently, "Do you remember that I brought you here last night?"

She sits up and the blanket slides down, barely hiding her breasts from view, although werewolves were less concerned about nudity than the average person, he still averts his gaze,

"I was running…there was pain…men," her voice quavers, and he massages the ball of her foot to calm her, "You picked me up, and saved me?"

Her eyes are soft with tenderness, but even when he'd hurt her she'd looked at him like that.

She was drawn to him, unable to resist him and not even attempting to try.

Elijah bends his head and kisses the skin above the wound, "Always." he swears, and she gives a barely audible gasp, but he can smell the arousal beginning to emanate from between her thighs. She squirms slightly under the blanket and he wonders whether it would be utterly uncouth to fling it off her.

"You still haven't told me why I'm here." She points out and he swallows nervously,

"Last night, when the men tried to claim you…" he clears his throat, "I found a loophole, where, if you're unmated and taken captive, if your alpha fails to recover you within a certain period of time, you can be claimed by your captor and kept as his wolf."

She tilts her head slightly, clearly trying to recall the laws and shrugs, "Okay, so…?"

Katherine had always struck him as rather intelligent, at the very least she had an active mind, but he figures that after the exhaustion of the change, being chased, hunted and wounded, she probably wasn't firing on all cylinders.

"I've taken you captive." he elucidates but that doesn't seem to help her confusion at all.

"But," she frowns, glancing down as she tries to wrap her head around that statement,

"You don't even like me!"

Now he's the one that's confused, "Of course I care for you Katherine," he argues in bewilderment, "Whatever gave you the idea that I didn't?"

"You rejected my wolf," she says, holding up her fingers to tick off the evidence against him,

"When I tried to come to your hearth, when I tried to seek shelter with you, when I brought you food to provide for you…"

He sighs and realizes absent-mindedly that he's still massaging her foot,

"Nobody explained to me that your wolf was courting me, I had no idea what was going on and by the time I'd eavesdropped on the pack, it was too late, hence the reason for this loophole."

She sits up and he averts his gaze as the blanket falls to her waist, "So, you do want me?"

He huffs, "Considering I just kidnapped your wolf and rang my brother with a threat that only a decade ago would have meant war between us, yes, Katherine, I want you."

She smirks, and throws back the blanket, revealing her naked body and his eyes dart to the curls between her thighs before he forces them up to her own brown orbs.

"So…" she drawls, "What exactly will I have to do as your hostage?"

He smirks and making sure that her wounded ankle was supported, scooped her up and sat her on his lap, her legs settling around his waist, "For starters," he murmured as he pressed their foreheads together, "I think we're rather overdue for our first kiss."

She laughs and cups his face in her hands, tilting his head back and pressing her lips to his, it's a chaste kiss at first, he waits for her to slip her tongue into his mouth, opening for her and letting her set the pace, explore his mouth as her fingers rub lightly against the stubble of his unshaved jaw.

He doesn't need to breathe but she breaks for air and gives him a wicked smile which reminds him- as if he could have forgotten- that she is utterly naked against him.

This made him feel simultaneously exceptionally lucky and exceptionally unworthy.

He strokes a strand of hair back from her face and kisses it tenderly, "Katherine," he whispers her name, "The moment you no longer wish to be here, to be with me you must let me know," he swallows, "I shan't keep you here against your will."

She chuckles, looking at him with an expression of tender exasperation, "I'll always want to be with you, Elijah," she explains, "That's what the mating bond is."

He grimaces, "It sounds rather like compulsion or siring to me."

She considers those two terms and clearly doesn't understand them, he breathes a smile and hears the sound of feet approaching, he picks her up and carries her to the bathroom, setting her on the sink, "Wait here," he told her between kisses, his thumbs brushing her arms to calm her when she hears the knock on the door and jumps, "It's only the staff, bringing you breakfast."

She sniffs deeply and grins, "Pancakes?"

He isn't used to people around him having the same heightened senses as himself, so he smiles in affirmation and quickly moves to the door to collect the tray where a towering stack of pancakes with steam rising from them sat next to a bottle of maple syrup and a dish of butter.

He has barely sent the man away when Katherine bounds out of the bathroom and looks at the food with a gaze of avarice and desire that he hopes she'll one day turn upon him.

He manages to move around her reaching hands until the plate is on the tiny table and he sits her down at one of the wooden chairs, taking the one across from her,

"Would you like my jacket?" he offers as she takes the cutlery in hand, still completely naked but she gives a half-shrug, "Wouldn't you prefer me naked?" she asks flirtatiously and he determinedly keeps his eyes above her neckline, "I'd prefer you comfortable."

She smirks and leans forward in the chair, putting her arms on the table and pressing her breasts together, "One of the perks of being a werewolf," she begins in a low, husky tone,

"You're very comfortable in your own skin and not much else."

He glares at her, struggling not to smile and she giggles before drowning her pancakes in maple syrup and looking across the table, "Where's your plate?"

He resists the urge to grimace and plays with his cufflinks under the table, "I'm not hungry," he says with feigned casualness, but she shakes her head and stands up, heading to the kitchenette to look for another plate, he swallows nervously, "Katherine," he forces himself to turn around to face her,

"I'm a vampire, part of my nature means that food isn't a necessity."

She rolls her eyes and puts the plate down, beginning to divide up the pancakes, about to cut them in half when she sees his pointed look and settles for giving him a quarter instead,

"I'm a werewolf," she reminds him, "If I don't see you eat today, my wolf is going to spend tonight trying to feed you anything within range."

He's remembers the bloody rabbit and crinkles his nose in distaste, "Why?"

She shrugs, "If I don't see you eat, I'm going to assume you suck at hunting and will starve if I don't feed you."

"Isn't that what cats do?" he teases, trying to hide his smile as she pushes the plate towards him and she glares playfully, "Careful," she threatens without even a hint of malice, "I bite as well, vampire."

He feigned terror and she laughed before turning to her breakfast with relish.

* * *

"Shower." Elijah stated as Katherine jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her naked body against his.

"Sex." She returned, stealing one kiss and then another and another, making him lose his way and press her against the wall.

"Shower." He tries to insist as he nearly trips over the ordinary green dress that he'd had the staff bring from the first open store they came across.

"Sex in the shower?" Katherine suggests as he finally gets them to the bathroom, lowering her carefully to her feet, "No."

The slightest frown flickers across her brow, "Why not?"

He kisses her forehead, "Because I want to be chosen by both of you, not just your wolf."

She smirks, "I don't think you understand how werewolf mating works."

Elijah shrugs and reaches past her to turn on the shower, testing to ensure the water is warm but not scalding, "Perhaps not, but you're more than welcome to explain it to me after you've showered."

She sighs as if he's being utterly unreasonable but climbs into the shower and he turns away, making her laugh at the attempt to give her privacy.

"You're so chivalrous." She laughs as he listens to the sound of the soap rubbing up down her palm.

"For the moment." he admits, striding from the room.

* * *

Elijah received a text message from his brother alerting him to Caroline's impending surreptitious visit to their motel room to deliver some of Katherine's clothes and beauty supplies to her.

Katherine only shrugs from her position on the bed where they had been watching old movies,

"You really suck at werewolf abduction," she tells him lazily, stretching her glorious body and reminding him that the green dress was the only thing she was wearing.

"You're my mate," she continues sulkily as they hear the rapid knock at the door, "So stop trying to dress me and mate with me already."

Caroline's giggle reaches their ears but considering that Elijah's known her for several months and not seen her fully dressed more than two or three times, he knows she's not able to cast stones.

She's smiling when she comes into the room lugging a mini-suitcase that has both of them looking at her in confusion, "How long do you think I plan on keeping Katherine here?" he asks her,

"Though she and Helen are equally matched, this is not the Trojan war."

Caroline drops the mini-suitcase to the floor where it makes an ominous thud,

"Well…you two have to stay here another two nights and…" she clears her throat,

"Grayson and Miranda aren't exactly okay with the stunt you pulled."

He raises his eyebrows and Katherine huffs, "My parents were hoping I'd settle down with another werewolf, I think they had their hearts set on one of the Salvatore boys or hell, they probably wouldn't say no to Mason or Tyler."

Elijah hadn't actually bothered learning names, so he isn't entirely sure who any of those males are. He turns back to Caroline, "I assume my vampirism is the main problem?"

Caroline just shrugs, "I think it's more that you aren't a werewolf, you know?"

He sighs, pulling at the cuff of his sleeve, "Well, as that can't be remedied, what's the solution?"

"Oh, Klaus is working on that now," she promises him, "Pretty much once they realize they can't pay to get Katherine back and they can't challenge you to a fight or anything they'll just have to accept it."

Elijah winces at that, though he had guessed that his actions would be resented by the males of Klaus' pack, he had rather hoped that at the very least Katherine's parents would be grateful to him for rescuing her from the hunt that had taken place last night.

"They can just accept it," Katherine snaps, hopping off the bed and embracing Elijah from behind, standing up on her tiptoes to rest her chin on his shoulder, "At least he didn't take their favorite daughter."

He frowns at that, turning his face to look her in the eyes and she shrugs, "Elena's been their favorite girl since she was born, I'm just the first try."

He reaches down for her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss it, "I'd rather be mate to your werewolf than any other being in the world."

She covers her smile with a kiss to his shoulder, "But he won't have sex with me." She pouts, addressing Caroline who runs a hand through her hair,

"Seriously?! You should be thanking god for that, this is the first time in months I've worn panties. Vampire stamina isn't a good thing."

Elijah can hear Katherine's heart rate spiking along with her interest, "Really?"

He gives her a warning look which she answers with faux-innocence, with a sigh of defeat, he sees Caroline out, walking her to his brother's car,

"Will Katherine be safe?" he asks her quietly, "Will she be welcomed back to the pack?"

Caroline nods, "Should be, they can't cast her out considering you're the Alpha's brother, her parents might kick her out of the house but she could move in with Klaus and I."

"I'd really rather she didn't," he countered, "I'm worried about the subsequent hearing loss."

Caroline pauses for a second before smacking his arm, "That's not funny."

"I know," he deadpans, "The psychological damage is even worse."

She huffs and stomps her foot, "Fine, see if I bring you any clothes when you run out."

He bites his tongue and hopes she won't have to.

* * *

If Elijah was being honest with himself, he had been hoping that he would be able to keep his hands in appropriate places and perhaps send a day or two with Katherine before they consummated their relationship, however- he had rather suspected that his self-control wasn't that good.

And he was right.

Barely an hour after Caroline leaves, Katherine is lying on the bed, on her stomach watching an old movie and resting her chin on her forearms. Elijah is sitting against the headboard, his eyes meant to be on the screen but instead he is looking at her legs.

At the long, tanned, smooth skin that is only hidden at the very top by the green dress.

She has a beauty spot on the back of her left thigh and he finds himself reaching for it, his thumb touching the brown mark as his hand spread over her skin. Katherine looks over her shoulder with a little laugh, "About time." She teases as he slides his hand up further, lowering himself down until he was partly atop her, keeping his weight on his elbow as he kisses her cheek and strokes her hair back from her neck.

"Are you sure about this, Katherine?" he murmurs in her ear and she nods,

"Since I first saw you," She promises and moans as he kisses her neck, biting the flesh with blunt teeth before quickly rolling her over onto her back,

"I'm a wolf though," she warns him as he begins sliding the dress up her body, "I like it best on hands and knees."

He grins as she takes the hem of the dress and pulls it up over her head, revealing her perfect form, her smooth stomach and her breasts which he could stare at for hours and wants to cup gently in his hands.

"If that is what you desire," he whispers as his fingers run down her thighs, "But first, a little preparation."

Their kiss is heat and tongue and they push and pull closer to one another, her fingers yanking at his shirt and pants as he reaches down to help her without breaking away from her lips. Her legs draw up and wrap around his waist, pressing her hips against his and he bucks before he can help it, catching the scent of arousal and the growing wetness between her thighs.

She gives a little growl of frustration and he releases her so he can push back onto his knees and begin undressing, undoing the buttons of his shirt while her fingers unbuckle his belt and throw it clear across the room before flying back to his pants.

He worries that she might tear the fabric so when his shirt is unbuttoned he reaches down and slips his hand between her thighs, running a finger from clit to opening before cupping her and she moans, successfully distracted. He can't resist slipping a finger inside her, stroking her gently to ensure she aroused enough before adding another digit.

She gives a delicious little gasp and rides his fingers as he seeks out her climax, waiting until she's on the very edge before stopping just long enough for her eyes to flutter open and he steals a kiss, drinking in her moan as she comes apart on his hand.

She pushes herself up onto her knees and wraps an arm around his neck while her other runs down his bare chest, pushing his shirt away and he pulls it off and tosses it aside, "I want you," she growls as he kisses her neck and palms her breasts, weighing them and playing with her nipples, "Now."

He grins even as she strokes his erection through his pants, "Patience, Katerina."

She smiles and presses her weight against him, causing them to tumble backwards onto the bed,

"I don't want to be patient," she says, running a finger over his lips as her eyes flash yellow,

"I want my mate."

He wants to draw this out, to take the rest of the afternoon to kiss his way over every inch of her, to learn which parts of her were sensitive and which caused her the most pleasure. He wants to drink in her climaxes and the sounds she made as she came apart around him.

However, he also wanted her to be in the moment with him and right now, she was too impatient for that.

He then remembers that she would be turning into her wolf form later and realized that he must have misjudged their allotted time together in human form.

He strokes her cheek and she leans into his touch before grinding against his lap and he struggles to control himself, "Shall I take this as consent?"

She smirks and nips at his hand, which he fortunately pulls away before she breaks skin and their time together is shortened even further. He rolls her onto her back and she laughs before they kiss again and he presses a kiss to her left breast, "On your stomach."

She shifts to the side and then pushes herself up gracefully onto her hands and knees, quivering with excitement and desire when shucks off his pants and he trails his nails up the back of her thighs and cups her hips tenderly with his hands.

He presses the tip of his erection against her silky folds and she gives a little gasp, pressing back as he pulls away teasingly, taking himself in hand before guiding himself inside her. He enters slowly, painfully slowly even as he wants to slam inside her, but he moves inch by inch, allowing her every moment to become accustomed and tortured by her need for all of him.

He's shaking with the strain of holding himself together and when he reaches his limit, he thrusts and she sobs his name. He sets a steady pace, moving deep and hard as he watches her back rock with every thrust, her spine dipping in and out of visibility as she grips the sheets with her hands. Slipping around her hip, he finds her clit and coats his thumb in arousal before rubbing it gently, bringing her to a climax which he rides her right through, not giving her time to come down again before driving her to an orgasm and she collapses onto the bed, moaning incoherently into the pillow as he seeks his own release. He finishes inside her and sinks down atop her back, stroking her hair to the side and lazily pressing his lips to her shoulder blade.

"My mate." Katherine mumbles, drowsily lifting a hand to tangle their fingers together and he smirks,

"Your mate." He whispers.

* * *

That night, in the woods behind the building, Elijah waited at the edge of the tree line while Katherine found a place to change. After ten minutes, he sees her wolf sticking her head out from behind a large rock, "Hello," He smiles before she yips and turns around pointedly,

"Yes, I'm coming."


	7. The One with the Suitcase

A/N- Teeny tiny drabble

* * *

"Katerina!" Elijah called, "If we are late, so help me…"

"Oh _shut up!_ " Katherine shot back as she followed him to the car,

"We have plenty of time, besides …"

"It's not my fault that you insisted on stopping for the roses first."

He runs his hand over his face, "No, but you're the one who insisted on dropping two thousand dollars on a _suitcase_."

"Because," Katherine sighed, running her hands lovingly over the leather as she placed it in the trunk, "It's _Louis Vuitton_ and matches ours, which means it's a family set."

"Wonderful," he sniped as he dropped into the driver's seat,

"Welcome to the family and to materialism."

She scoffed, "Said the man who insists on bespoke suits and whose _jeans_ cost five hundred dollars."

He cedes the argument to his as he runs his tongue over his teeth,

"I simply don't want to be late." he admits, and she takes his hand.

"It'll be fine," she assures him, "There is no way the social worker will get there before us."

* * *

 _Crap_.

Where the _hell_ were they?

She should have known not to get there early with Nadia.

If she had got that little girl's hopes up just to have the couple change their minds at the last second again…

And they'd seemed like window shoppers too.

A couple who came looking for the child to change their lives and decided in the end they'd rather have a plant instead.

Or a freaking poodle.

They seemed like a poodle couple as well, a freaking lawyer and a shoe designer.

How was _shoe designer_ even a thing?!

Except that they'd passed all the background checks and the home visits and there's still a few minutes to go…

She hears a faint humming noise and raises her head, seeing Nadia sitting in the corner of the booth, playing with the doll.

It wasn't hers, the orphanage couldn't afford toys for all the kids, but the doll had always been popular with the girls.

And she'd figured it would distract Nadia just in case things went south.

She had taken the little girl to a nearby restaurant so that none of the other kids from the orphanage would be upset when they saw Nadia being adopted.

If she was adopted.

Thankfully, Caroline hadn't told her why she had taken her to the restaurant, but perhaps when she'd seen her bring out the garbage bags and throw her few belongings into them, she had guessed?

Maybe she could take her clothes shopping later or to the laundromat and pretend that was why?

She worries her hangnail, her eyes anxiously watching the clock, God if they'd changed their minds…her heart always broke over doing that paperwork.

The restaurant doors slide open and Ms Pierce strides in like a model on a runway, looking around and giving a cheeky smile when she sees the two of them. Her husband follows behind her and Caroline barely recognizes him without a suit on.

"Sorry we're almost five _seconds_ late," she sighs, rolling her eyes at her in greeting,

"Elijah couldn't find a park."

She then sits down in the booth and turns to face Nadia who is looking up at her curiously,

"So…" Katherine speaks out of the corner of her mouth, "Do I re-introduce us, do you…or?"

Caroline opens her own mouth but before she can, Mr Mikaelson crouches down on Nadia's side of the booth, at which point, she realizes that he's holding a bouquet of pink roses and he waits until he has her attention,

"Hello Nadia," he says, his voice gentle, "I'm your new father."

Nadia blinks in bewilderment and looks to Caroline for confirmation, she nods and Ms Pierce jumps in, "And I'm your new mama."

Nadia looks between the two of them, and then back to Caroline, her eyes widening in surprise and hope.

"Am I getting a home?"

Caroline nods, barely noticing the waiter who'd approached with a drink menu, heard the last sentence and beat a hasty retreat,

"Elijah and Katherine are going to be your mummy and daddy."

Nadia reaches out cautiously and touches the tip of the roses, a smile creeping across her face, "Pretty." She says and Elijah sits down beside her,

"They're for you," he tells her, "Pink means forever."

Caroline's heart clenches as Nadia takes the flowers with her small hand and puts them on the table, pressing her nose to them and inhaling deeply.

She takes the moment to turn to Ms Pierce who is watching the four-year-old girl intently,

"I have her things in the car," she murmurs and she nods, "Oh yeah."

She reaches down into the next booth and hands her a suitcase, "Pack them in this."

Caroline takes the travel suitcase and sees that it's Louis Vuitton, with the handle still wrapped,

"Okay."

She's not entirely sure what to make of that.

She looks back over her shoulder to ensure that Nadia isn't panicked about being left alone but the little girl is giggling and a waiter has approached to take their orders.

She still hurries out to the car and takes a moment to appreciate that Mr Mikaelson and Ms Pierce had bought a suitcase for Nadia.

It meant that her things wouldn't have to be transported in garbage bags, which was how orphans, foster kids and adopted kids usually got their things from one place to another.

When she gets back inside, Nadia is now standing in the booth and has her hands on Ms Pierce's shoulders, and the two of them have their foreheads pressed together as they giggle over something.

Mr Mikaelson clears his throat to get her attention, "Will you be eating with us, Ms Forbes?"

She shakes her head, "Uh, I'm going to give you three some space."

He nods and takes the menu, while Nadia watches her, "You going?" she asks and Caroline hesitates, "Do you want me to stay?"

The little girl turns back to Katherine and kisses her nose, before holding out the doll,

"Here," she says, "Mama said I should give it back for the next girl to get a home."

"And I'll buy you the prettiest dolls in the world," Katherine promises as a suspiciously red-eyed waiter comes back to bring them drinks.

* * *

 _November_

Caroline had thought she'd recognized the immaculate brunette curls as she'd made her way through the crowds at Neiman Marcus.

"Ms Pierce!" she calls, hurrying over to the children's section just as the woman turns around,

"Oh," she fixes a smile on her face, "I was hoping it was the sales attendant."

Caroline blinks and decides to let that one go before focusing on Nadia.

And she smiles at how much the little girl has changed.

She appeared to have grown at least an inch, was wearing new clothes that fit and was no longer so skinny, her hair was shiny and healthy and she was beaming as she held up her leg, "Hi Misses Caroline!"

"Hi, sweetie," Caroline bent down, "Are you getting new shoes?"

Nadia nodded, "Uh huh, and Daddy and Uncle Klaus are in the toy section, they said we could buy toys for the home."

"Nadia mentioned that there were no toys at the orphanage," Ms Pierce explained,

"So, since Elijah nixed me buying Nadia anymore toys, I'm putting my Christmas bonus to even better use."

Caroline smiled, "Thank-you," she told her, "Seriously, you didn't have to do that."

She rolled her eyes, "Please, it's tax deductible and is almost literally the _least_ we could do."

She crouches down, "Sweetie, I'm worried that the bows on these flats will clash with your beret…"

Okay.

Caroline hears her name and turns to see Mr Mikaelson approaching several bags on his arms,

"It is lovely to see you."

She grins, "Nadia and Katherine told me what you were buying."

He looks down and reaches into one of the bags, withdrawing a teddy bear,

"This is Paddington bear," he tells her, "With his suitcase and travel coat, I thought it might be good for the children who are adopted."

Caroline makes an agreeable sound before her response is interrupted.

"Bloody _hell_ 'Lijah," a voice comes from behind them, "I'm carrying more Paddington _bloody_ Bear books than the train station itself could handle, give me your keys."

Caroline quirks an eyebrow, "My brother," Mr Mikaelson explained, "Niklaus, this is Ms Forbes."

A handsome blonde man with blue eyes gives her a sheepish smile,

"Sorry, love, I'd shake your hand but someone…" he glares at his brother,

"Decided to make me carry every last book in Virginia."

He is holding a large and awkward package under his arm and Caroline is about to comment when she is interrupted again.

" _Katerina_ …" Mr Mikaelson calls over her shoulder, "Where are you two going?"

Caroline follows his gaze to see Ms Pierce with her hands-on Nadia's shoulders, guiding her away, "Just to…window shop." She unconvincingly lies, and behind her, Niklaus snickers.

Elijah sighs, "Nadia does not need any more _hats_."

"But the shoes will clash with her beret." Ms Pierce argues,

"So, she won't wear the beret." Elijah suggests.

"Exactly, but then she won't have anything to wear on her head that will go with the dress."

Niklaus puts the package on a stool and stands beside her,

"Nadia is the best dressed kid I've ever seen," he comments,

"And still really sweet even though the two of them are trying to spoil her rotten."

Caroline grins, "Yeah, I kind of expected that from Ms Pierce, how about the rest of your family though?" she tries to ask casually, "How do they like their new niece?"

His smirk shows that he saw right through her, "Well, Finn is trying to teach her philosophy, Freya has her in her ballet class, Rebekah watches Disney movies with her and Kol pushes her weight's worth in chocolate bars on her,"

"You're welcome to come to the Christmas Party," he offers, "See the family, friends and associates in action and make sure Nadia is perfectly happy, even if her shoes clash with her hat."

"Beret," Caroline corrects with an exaggerated accent, "And I might just take you up on that."

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading!


	8. The One with the Devil

A/N- This idea came to me after the writers of TVD brought back Katherine Pierce and even though they quite royally screwed up, they had a good idea for an instant.

* * *

Elijah Mikaelson couldn't even begin to try containing his shock.

Not when, in a room full of previously alive beings, the one who should have been dead was helping herself to a rather expensive bottle of champagne.

" _Katerina?_ " he whispers her name and begins making his way through the corpses towards her. She's perched on a stool, leaning back against the bar and raises her eyebrows in greeting, "'Lijah, long time not one single thought of me," she purrs,

"Hope this…" she gestures vaguely to the bodies, "Didn't ruin your plans."

He doesn't spare them a glance, it is definitely her, not Elena in some bizarre and sickening impersonation,

"Actually," he slips his hands into his pockets so he wouldn't grab her,

"These were all enemies of my family, so you've rather done us a favor, but don't worry," he adds with a quick smirk, "I won't tell Niklaus."

She makes a face at that and finishes the champagne before reaching for another one, "Mistakes were made." she intones, before popping the cork.

He searches for the polite and proper wording of the question before giving up,

"Might I ask how you are here?" he inquires, "When I heard rumors of your death, I rang Mystic Falls and was told by a rather…jubilant Damon Salvatore that you had been dragged into Hell."

And for that he had purposefully neglected to warn them about the rather large movement of witches towards their town.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "God, he is such a _petty_ little f***-boy,"

"Well, I was dragged into hell," she admits, "Fortunately, if there is one thing we can count on, it's that the Mystic Falls maniacs will always do something extraordinarily stupid and catastrophic while claiming to be on the side of good or 'doing the right thing', or 'just protecting their loved ones'."

"Did they commit another genocide?" Elijah interrupted,

"Decide third time lucky in that regard?"

Katherine snorted, "Worse"

He moved around the bar and ran his finger over the bottles until he found a twenty-five year old scotch,

"They already destroyed the Other Side," he muses, "And various other worlds,"

He pauses and thinks, "Does it have to do with the cure, white oak stake, or some other ancient curse?"

She hasn't turned around to face him, her beautiful brunette curls are brushing against the bar and he wants to wrap his hand around them,

"Nope," she answers, and his tongue darts out to taste his lips before he rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, "Is my family in immediate danger?"

He can hear her smirk, "No more so than anyone else."

He pours himself a scotch on the rocks and hesitates before making it a triple, it seemed the situation called for it.

"Forgive me for failing to play along, but if I could have the explanation?" he prompts and she sighs,

"Short answer," Katherine began, "They set off a chain of events that led to freeing the Devil from Hell."

He had been in the middle of raising the glass to his lips before setting it in the sink and taking hold of the bottle instead,

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, hoping he'd misheard,

"They raised the Devil himself," Katherine repeats and he swears silently under his breath before pressing the bottle of scotch to his lips and taking a long pull.

When he comes up for air, Katherine tilts her head backwards in an impressive display of the flexibility he'd so enjoyed and spins around to face him,

"And if you think at that point they stopped screwing up, boy are you wrong."

"Naturally," Elijah rolled his eyes, "Why would raising the literal Devil be any reason to question their life choices?"

"Yeah, then they killed him," Katherine added and Elijah closed his eyes,

Whilst many would consider killing the Devil- whom he hadn't even realized was a real being- a good thing, he understood kingdoms, hierarchies and power structures in general enough to know that at best they had just created a power vacuum, "And?" he prompts, feeling a migraine right between his eyes.

When he opens them, Katherine shrugs, "And…well…with Cade dead, the throne was empty and just sitting there, looking all comfortable and fun…"

What.

"Ekaterina," Elijah began, "Did you take over _Hell?_ "

She giggles and smiles flirtatiously, "Oh yeah. Demons, damned and all."

"That's why I'm here actually," she spreads her hands wide, "One of the main jobs of being Queen of the damned is to kill and feed on the souls of those pesky little evil maniacs, and what better place to do that than New Orleans."

She leans forward and despite the rather shocking news that his entire family- whom, to be honest, fitted the description of Katherine's new diet, rather perfectly- he couldn't stop his eyes from darting down to admire the cleavage exposed by her low cut top,

"Don't worry 'Lijah," she purred, and he wonders if the direction of his blood flow alone is enough to fast track him past Purgatory,

"You and your bizarre excuse for a family are safe," she leans back and he finally raises his eyes,

"After all, if there's one thing you monsters do better than prop up the local economy through excessive high-functioning alcoholism, it's attracting the dark and deadly to pick fights with you."

She hops off the stool, strutting to the door, "Honestly, being here is going to be like pulling up a chair to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, but like a fancy one where the waiters bring the food to you."

He'd forgotten how magnificent she looked in skin tight jeans. She turns back and rests a hand on the doorjamb, "By the way," she adds, her gaze flickering over his bare arms, "I'm staying at the Saint Hotel on Canal St, in the Lucifer suite."

He ducks his head quickly, turning away to try and hide his amusement.

"I couldn't resist." she admits, walking out into the cold night air.

For decencies sake, he manages to keep himself away for an hour before reaching the private entrance to her room and when she opens the door wearing eight inch scarlet heels and nothing else, he thinks that being damned has never felt so good.

"You're late." she pouts, closing the door before he takes her by the hips and hoists her up so she can wrap her arms around her shoulders and her legs around his waist,

"Let me make it up to you," he suggests and she grins as he makes his way to the bedroom.

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading.


	9. The One with the Devil II

A/N- Continuation on from The One with the Devil

* * *

Caroline hadn't known what to expect when she came to New Orleans.

Definitely not Alaric having decided to visit with their daughters in tow.

Definitely not him having caused so much trouble that half the unsired vampires in town were after his head.

Definitely not arriving in a panic to find that Klaus had taken in Liz and Josie but had fed them red cordial and given them a puppy each.

Definitely not rescuing Alaric only to have him pack up their daughters and drive away when her back was turned.

But what she could have expected the very least?

Like, if she'd made a list of one to a hundred things that she would never have expected, and then turned it over and written the things that didn't even make the list because they were just so crazy?

Going to a hotel to piss off _the_ _Devil_ was it.

This part of Canal St was only hotels and she weaves her way around the tourists as she stuffs her hands into the pockets of her trench coat, keeping her head down in the hopes of not being recognized by any of the supernaturals that might be in the area.

The foyer of the Saint Hotel was tasteful white marble until you saw the two stone cherubs above the check-in desk, still, Caroline made her way straight past the man to the private elevator and took out the key card she'd had programmed a week ago.

A flash of green light and the cage begins its ascent and despite herself, Caroline can't resist thinking that she should be going down, not up.

There is barely a hallway between the elevator and the black lacquered door but it's still open by the time she takes the one step necessary.

"Hey Care," a voice purrs, as its owner leans seductively against the door, one arm stretched up and showing off the manicured nails, soft hand and fine wrist.

"Katherine," she nods, moving quickly to dart past her before the other woman could jut out a hip and make body contact.

Because at the moment, the only thing Katherine- _the Devil_ \- Pierce was wearing was a two and a half thousand-dollar Agent Provocateur body suit and Caroline could see that while it was new, it had already filled its intended purpose.

"I'm here for Elijah." she states as she makes her way into the hotel suite and pointedly ignores the scent of sex and depravity.

Katherine follows her with a cat-that-got-the-cream smirk and a walk that was all rolling hips,

"I hope you don't need him for anything urgent," she teases, moving to the living room and standing by the couch, "Otherwise you might be as screwed as him."

Caroline moves forward and finally lays eyes on her boyfriend's brother.

More than she'd wanted to see of him.

At least there was black silk covering his junk, but that was the only thing keeping him decent.

He was lying across the couch on his back, showing off a body that had a surprising amount of tattoos on it considering its owner was super stuffy.

"Did you snap his neck?" Caroline asked, bending over to study him with concern.

"Nope," Katherine said, taking a flute of some red cocktail and sipping it, "I just exhausted him."

Caroline didn't even know it was possible to exhaust an Original outside of a fight and, in spite of herself, raises her eyebrows questioningly,

"Six and thirteen seem to be the lucky numbers," Katherine sighed, looking "He can either go for thirteen orgasms or six hours but after that,"

One of his hands is flung over the side of the couch, touching the carpet and she prods it gently with her foot,

"Shame," she sighs, "You might as well take him, and get some blood into him, if you don't need him for anything too apocalyptic, I might be able to get another round out of him tonight."

Caroline feels a little like a pimp as she takes a blood bag out of her purse, grabs a glass by the coffee maker and sets the drink by the coffee table, knowing the smell would rouse Elijah better than shaking his shoulder could.

Meanwhile, Katherine had sauntered over to the large floor-to-ceiling windows and was standing there admiring the bright, afternoon sun,

"I'm hungry," she murmured as Caroline joined her,

"But I can't decide between something heavy like a Planned Parenthood Pro-life Protestor or just an entitled Starbucks customer."

Only Katherine could talk about murder and consumption of souls as if it was a discussion over whether to get Thai or Italian food.

"You should know," Caroline warned her, "People are starting to get concerned."

Katherine smirked, "About Elijah? But I take good care of him, I feed him, play with him and give him lots of love and attention."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "I'm serious, the Tremaine witches are threatening war and the vampires are freaked. The Originals are something to be worried about on a regular day, but you're the literal Devil and you act like you're aligned with them."

Katherine scoffed, "Please, I'm as aligned with them as much as a regular person is aligned with a fast food worker, they provide me with a source of nourishment and in return, I behave myself…well," she looks about the messy room, "Most of the time."

Caroline pinches the bridge of her nose, she's about to issue another warning but there's movement behind them and Elijah pads into the bedroom, having miraculously found his suit pants but still shirtless. He notes Caroline's presence with a polite smile,

"Darling," he turns to Katherine, "Do you know where the rest of my outfit is?"

"You know I don't like it when you put your clothes _on_ ," Katherine says with a pout, "But try by the stripper pole."

Caroline resisted the urge to shudder, "Please tell me you'll think about what I said." she pleads with Katherine as she walks her to the door, Elijah following in their wake as he buttoned up his shirt,

Katherine shrugged and the chains on her bodysuit jingled,

"Maybe," she teased, "If I don't have anything more exciting to think about."

Elijah's still pale and clearly exhausted but he wraps an arm around Katherine as the elevator doors open and the two of them spend a solid minute kissing passionately and grinding against each other like two teen virgins at their second dance.

Fortunately, Caroline came prepared.

She takes the gun out of her handbag and shoots them both with barely melted ice water.

Some of it lands on Katherine's breast and she shrieks,

"Bitch, I am literally the Devil." she seethes as Caroline slips the gun back into her bag,

"And literally a slut," she snaps, grabbing Elijah and dragging him into the elevator,

"God bless you." She calls just before the doors close. 


End file.
